Forever & Always
by tinixoxdancer
Summary: The gang learns that first loves never die, true friendship lasts a lifetime, saying goodbye isn't easy and that they've all been changed for the better because of eachother. full summary inside, PLEASE REVIEW!
1. Welcome back

Forever and Always

Summary: It's Senior year at DCS for Craig, Marco, Jimmy, Paige, Hazel, Jay, Spinner,Alex and Ellie && it's junior year for Manny, Emma, JT, Liberty, Toby. Through out the year they'll learn that first loves never die, true friendship lasts a lifetime, saying goodbye isn't easy and that they've all been changed for the better because of eachother. PLEASE REVIEW!

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outside degrassi 

"First day of grade 12!" Paige says to her best friend Hazel

"Our last first day at degrassi!" hazel says sounding like she's gonna cry.

"we've been best friend for 6 years..." paige says.

* * *

in the halls craig's locker 

"So basically she just called and you told her it was over?" Jimmy asked Craig.

Just then Marco walks up.

"Happy birthday craig! and sorry about ashley..."

"it doesn't matter with ash..i've moved on. I never loved her, there's someone that I think I've always been in love with..."

Manny then walks by with Emma.

"Craig man, no you've done that before" Jimmy started

"Yeah and I was really happy with her! She's the only one for me, it's always been Manny. Ever since grade 9." Craig says.

"And I know for a fact that it' always been Craig for her" Spinner says walking up to his former best friends.

"What are you doing here?" asked Marco.

"Spinner you should really leave." Hazel says coming up to Jimmy.

"Honestly Spinner no one wants to talk to you." Paige added

"I just wana make things right..."Spinner said before he was cut off by Craig.

"It's always been me for Manny?" Craig says his eyes getting a sparkle in them and a smile spreading across his face. "I gotta go find her."

* * *

**Sorry it's so short. i'm going out in like 5 minutes and i just wrote this. Sorry if it sucks. r&r please, ideas are welcome.**


	2. Memory

**Disclaimer: I don't own degrassi, or any of the songs mentioned in this chapter.**

* * *

**At manny's locker**

_Emma see's craig_

Emma: Manny, I gotta go, um, talk to my dad, see you in MI.

Manny: Yeah sure.

Manny takes one more book out of her locker and is about to shut it when Craig comes up behind her

Craig: Hey, Manny.

Manny: Hey. Um, how was your summer?

Craig: Nothing special.

Manny: Well, I guess it wouldn't be since Ashley was gone.

Craig: It had nothing to do with Ashley.

Manny: Then why wasn't it anything special?

Craig: How was your summer?

Manny: Just please answer the question, Craig.

Craig: Because there's been this girl who I couldn't stop thinking about.

Manny: And this isn't Ash?

Craig: It was never about Ashley.

Manny: I um, I have to go..nice talking to you again though.

Craig: Manny! wait please.

Manny: I'll see you at lunch, we'll talk then okay?

Craig: Yea, lunch.

_they both start walking towards their homerooms_

* * *

**in MI Emma and Manny are talking**

Emma: OMG! Manny, I told you he still loved you!

Manny: I don't know, Em..I don't want to get hurt again.

Emma: Manny, you'll just have to take a chance.

_Manny looks away_

* * *

in Ms. Kwan's room. She's going on about Shakespear 

Jimmy: So how'd things go with Ms. Santos?

Craig: I don't wanna talk about it.

Marco: Ouch. That bad huh?

Craig: I don't think she'll ever fully forgive me for breaking her heart.

Jimmy: Ash did.

Craig: Ash would have gone out with almost anybody just to feel like she was cared about.

Marco: Craig, I don't think that Manny hates you. She's proabally afarid. And she may still feel guilty about getting the abortion.

Jimmy: Marco! You know Craig hates talking about that.

Spinner then walks in

Spinner: Sorry I'm late Ms. Kwan, I had to talk to Mr. Simpson.

Ms. Kwan: It's alright Gavin, go take a seat next to Marco.

Spinner passes Paige and smiles at her. She looks away with tears in her eyes.

Jimmy: I can't believe he's coming to sit with us.

Marco: We'll just ignore him.

Jimmy: Right so what were we saying...

Craig: You we're basically reminding that the only girl I've ever really been in love with killed my baby.

Spinner over hears this

Spinner: She still feels guilty, you know.

Jimmy: Spinner, shut up. No one wants to talk to you.

Craig: Jimmy, wait. Let him talk. I know he was with Manny last year Craig gives him a look and I want to know what he has to say.

Jimmy: Fine.

Spinner: Uh, thanks. Um, anyways she basically poured her soul out to me about how she still loves you, how she wishes she kept the baby and how she'll never forgive herself for killing it. Infact, she told me that the only reason that she even gave me a chance was because she wanted to prove to herself that she didn't need you Craig. But she still does. Did you ever go to her house?

Craig: Once but it was only to pick her up for a date..why did yo..spinner cuts him off

Spinner: Well one night, it was after we broke up, she called me over because she needed someone to talk to. She was in her room, middle of the afternoon, with the lights off and the blinds closed.

Craig: But Manny always likes the ligh..spinner interupted him again

Spinner: It was the I guess you could call it the 'annivsary' of her abortion. She was sitting on her bed, crying her eyes out, listening to 'Pretty Girl' by Sugarcult.

Jimmy & Craig: Why was she listening to sugarcult?

Marco: 'Pretty girl' might remind he of some things Craig, think of the lyrics.

Craig begins to sing

Craig: Its the way that he makes you feel. its the way that he kisses you its the way that he makes you fall in love...She's beautiful as usual with bruises on her ego...

Spinner: She was holding a picture it was black and white, and kinda weird looking. I'm not sure what it was of. Bur she sounded so dead. It wasn't like the Manny that everyone her at degrassi knew.

Craig: Spin, just tell me what she said.

Spinner: Oh right! She was like 'No wonder Craig's back with Ashley. Why would he want to be with a slut who he got pregnant and then ruined his dreams of being a family by being a baby killer. I'm just a toy to boys. They all think I'm some kind of slut because of what happened. I wasn't think at the time, all I knew was that I was in love. I still love him Spinner but I had to ruin everything and now he's back with Ashley and he proabally really loves her and they're gonna get married and have lots of kids and Ashley won't be such a stupid selfish slutbag bitch like me. She won't kill any of her children...evuntally all I'll be is a memory to him, not even a good one. I'll just always be the slut that killed his baby...' weird thing is, as she was saying that the song changed to 'Memory'. I think she might like Sugarcult.

Craig: She though I actually loved Ash?

Jimmy: You mean you didn't?

Marco: Come on Jim, it was so obvious. Craig was _always_ looking at Manny.

Craig: So what else did she say?

Spinner: Nothing. She told me to leave and that it was a mistake, everything was a mistake, just like her. I tried telling her differently but then the song changed again, I guess she had a mix on and it was 'Screaming Infedialities'. I didn't know she Listened to Dashboard...

Craig: I introduced her to them. She really liked 'Hands down' I think it was her favorite...

Craig sounded as if he was going to cry. Just then the bell rang, signaling time for lunch

Craig: I'll see you guys later, I'm gonna go talk to Manny.

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**So there it is, chapter 2. Hope you liked it. Review please!**


	3. Always

**A/N sorry for not updating in so long. I had an idea and I forgot to write it down. Since I had started this before season 5 started I'm going to continue it from where I left off but I'll keep a few things the same. Manny didn't make the tape the first day of school, she made it a few weeks before and everyone saw it but have compleatly forgotten about it by now, she still got kicked out of her house and is living with Emma, Emma still likes Peter but they havn't started hooking up yet, Jimmy and Hazel are still together, JT & Liberty are still together and he still hasn't found out about her pregnancy, Paige and Matt (Mr. O.) did break up, but it was before school started but she did try pot, at the moment she is trying to compress her feelings for Spinner, Spinner and Darcy are getting close Darcy likes him and he thinks she's cute but can't get Paige out of his head, Alex is friends with all of them but she & Paige never hook up, Jay was let back in school , and Ellie likes Craig. Anyways, here's chapter 3: Always..it's not very good. R&R**

* * *

**Lunch**

Craig walked outside of Degrassi and saw Manny sitting on the steps talking to Emma. Craig walked up to the two girls.

"Hey girls." Craig said to them

"Hey Craig" Emma said.

Manny just looked up at Craig, gave a half smile, and looked away. Emma looked at the two of them.

"Uhmm, I'm gonna go talk to J.T. and Toby, I'll let you two talk..so, bye." Emma said.

"Bye Emma." Craig called to her as she ran back into school.

"Thanks a lot Em.." Manny said under her breath. "So what do you want?" Manny asked as she turned to look at Craig.

"I just wanna talk.." He said looking in her eyes. He realized that the sparkle which were once behind them was now gone.

"There's nothing to talk about" Manny said as she looked away. "Look Craig, why don't you just go sit with Marco and Jimmy and discuss your new song and I'll go talk to Em." She said grabbing her books and standing up.

"Spinner told me everything." He said gently grabbing her arm.

"Spinner doesn't know anything. Why were you talking to him anyways? He put Jimmy in the wheelchair, I thought you disowned him from your group." Manny said defensivly.

"We may hate him for what he did to Jimmy, but I wanted-needed-to know about you."

"Wow, asking my **ex**-boyfriends for information about me, stalker much?"

"Manny.." He said softly trying to get her to look at him.

"How do you know he was even telling the truth?"

"Because I can see it in your eyes. You're hurting Manny..if it really hurt you that much why didn't you come and talk to me about it?"

He said taking her hand in his.

"Because you were with Ashley. And you looked happy. I didn't want to tell you that I was having regrets about aborting my baby-your baby.._our_ baby. She would probally just think I was trying to get you again."

"You could have talked to me alone if you didn't want her to hear it."

"And when would that have been Craig?" Manny said finally meeting his eyes. "You were always around her. There was never time to tell you about it."

"What about durring the summer? She wasn't here then. You could've..."

"Why do you care anyways!" Manny cut him off. "I was a mistake, remember?" she siad, her eyes filling with tears.

"I didn't mean it like that..."

"Then what did you mean because if I remember correctly you said "I've made a lot of mistakes since coming here, but you were probally the biggest"..and as if that wasn't bad enough you had to add "If I could go back in time, stop it, I would, save us both a lot of pain." That hurt Craig, it hurt a lot. I knew I made mistakes, I knew that dating you while you were with Ash was a mistake but you didn't have to tell me that I was you're biggest mistake."

Manny looked up at him with a few tears streaming down her cheaks. Craig took his thumb and gently brushed them away.

**

* * *

****Table next to the steps where Marco, Jimmy, Ellie, Alex, Hazel and Paige are sitting**

"He made her cry..."Marco commented looking at his friends on the steps and then returning his focus to everyone at the table.

"Poor girl, she's had it so rough these past few years." Hazel said.

"I still don't get it, last year he was all over Ash and now he's chasing after Manny..doesn't make sense." Paige said.

"He said he was never over her this morning. He even forced me to listen to Spinner talk about Manny..." Jimmy said to Paige

"Oh please Jimmy." Ellie said cutting him off "He's going after Manny for the same reason he cheated on Ash with her, he just wants sex."

"Wow Ellie, jealous much?" Paige said bitterly.

"That was mean El" Marco told her

"You serriously thinks he likes her?" She asked with a hint of anger in her voice

"No, I serriously thinks he loves her." Alex said sitting down at the table with her friends

"And what gives you that idea?" Ellie asked Alex with some attitude

"I heard him telling those two this morning." She said pointing her spoon at Marco and Jimmy.

**

* * *

****Back to the steps**

"I never meant for it to come off like that. What I was trying to say wasn't that you or our relationship was a mistake, but the way it happened was." Craig said taking both of her small hands into his larger ones and looking her straight in the eye "But believe me when I say, I don't regret any of it."

Manny looked away and saw the grade 12s looking at her.

"You just saying that to be nice." She said looking at the ground

Craig lifted Manny's chin and looked her in the eye

"I promise you, I'm not." he whispered.

Manny rested her head on his shoulder and he hugged her.

"Can you just answer me one question? Why did you go out with Ashley again last year?" Manny asked.

"After Jimmy was shot, everything was just so crazy. I watched my best friend fall to the ground after he was shot. Then he was in the hospital for a few months, you and Spinner started getting close. We had to use our recording time and Ash was there. I just wanted something familar and Ash was there...so I went after her. Then her dad's wedding and I was diagionised bi-polar and she was there through it all. She said she'd never leave and then she did. I did a lot of thinking this summer, and throughout my whole grade11 relationship with Ash, it was always you who I was thinking about."

Manny lifted her head from his shoulder and looked at him. She could tell by the look in his eyes that he was telling the truth. She smiled at him and that smile caused him to do something he never thought he would be doing for a while. He leaned in and kissed her. Manny was shocked at first but gave in and kissed him back.

**

* * *

Back to where Marco, Jimmy, Ellie, Alex, Hazel and Paige are sitting**

"AWWWW!" Paige and Hazel squealed when they saw Degrassi's new couple kissing

This caused Marco to turn his attention towards the steps.

"Well look at that." Marco said smiling.

"Ash just broke up with him this morning and he's already kissing Degrassi's resident slut." Ellie commented.

"Craig broke up with her Ellie, he told her it was over. Said he loved someone else." Jimmy said

"That's not what Ash told me."

"And what is it you heard?" Alex asked with her usual attitude

"Ash said that she called him to tell him that she was staying in London because she wanted to spend more time with her dad." Ellie said to the table with a tone of bitchy-ness in her voice.

"Hon maybe you should get your facts straight. Ash called him this morning to tell him she wouldn't be back 'til tomorrow because her flight got delayed. He told her it didn't matter and that he didn't care and it was over between the two of them." Paige responded and gave her signature smirk.

Craig and Manny walked over to the table holding hands and sat down.

"So we're guessing by that kiss that you're back together." Paige said to them

Manny and Craig looked at eachother and smiled, and Craig gave her a kiss on the cheak.

"I'll take that as a yes." Hazel said

--_there were 15 minutes left of lunch_--

"I'm gonna go talk to Em." Manny said and started walking away.

Craig grabbed her waist, turned her around and kissed her passionatly, Manny pulled away for a second, wrapped her arms around his neck, smiled and kissed him again.

Ellie rolled her eyes.

"Oh Ellie comon, they're just kissing." Marco told her

"It doesn't matter, if they're gonna do that they can get a room. Besides, I'm eating." She retorted.

Craig and Manny stopped kissing at Ellie's comment.

"Sorry El." Craig said without taking his eyes off Manny "You gonna go meet Emma now?" Craig asked her.

"You gonna come with me?" Manny responded with a smile.

"We'll catch up with you guys later." Craig called over his shoulder while he and Manny ran towards the school.

"Don't think we're gonna see them again for a while." Jimmy said causing everyone at the table to laugh-everyone but Ellie that is.

"They're already making out and they've been together a total of what-20 minutes?" Ellie said more to herself than anyone else.

"Ellie, what is your damage?" Paige asked with daggers in her eyes

"That Manny stole him from Ash-again!" Ellie yelled

"She didn't do anything, he went to _her_. He broke up with Ash for _her_. She didn't do anything this time. He chose Manny over Ash-again-get over it." Hazel told her

"Well maybe if sh.." Ellie started but was cute off by Alex.

"Ellie shut up. This crush you have on Craig. It's annoying. He doesn't like you as anything more than a friend. You saw him smile with Manny. He's happy Ellie. Just get over it. I'm sorry that Sean left you and that you've fallen for Craig but you and him are never gonna happen."

"I do NOT have a crush on Craig." Ellie protested.

"Then stop obsessing over it." Jimmy said

"Bye guys" Paige, Hazel, Alex and Jimmy said as they started for the school

"Marco, you comin' man?" Jimmy asked

"I'll catch up with you in a minute!" He called to his friends. "So..." he said looking at Ellie "Was Alex right do you like Craig?"

"No, I just think he can do better than a slut, someone he has nothing in comon with, someone.."

"Someone like you?"

"I mean what do they have Marco?"

"They have history, Ellie."

"So history wins over knowing about eachother! I spent my summer with Craig, I know more about him than Manny ever will."

"For not liking someone you sure seem to have a problem about your friend being happy with someone else."

"Yeah well..." She started and looked toward the school to see Manny and Craig talking, in what looked like a serious conversation. She turned her attention back to Marco

"How could he say he loves her? He ignored her all last year. Durring group he never mentioned loving Manny. He just talked about how Ash left him but it didn't bother him because he's in love with someone else. And he was looking at ME when he said that!"

"And that gave you the idea that he liked-or loved-you?"

Ellie's focus returned to where Manny and Craig were but now they were talking to Jimmy, Hazel, Paige and Alex. Craig hugging Manny from behind, whispering in her ear every so often. Marco followed her gaze and stood up. Ellie turned her attention to Marco again, who was now walking away.

"What does Manny have that I don't?" She asked him.

"His heart." He told her before running to catch up with everyone as they all walked back into school. Ellie sat on the bench for a few more minutes before gathering her books and running towards the school doors so she wouldn't be late to her next class. As she walked down the hall to Ms. Kwan's class she passed Craig giving Manny a kiss-which in her opinion lasted too long- outside of the MI lab. Ellie took her seat in Kwan's class just as the bell was ringing. A few seconds later Craig walked in and took his seat in the back with Marco and Jimmy. She watched as they talked and joked around and when Jimmy mentioned Manny, she saw Craig smiling. As Ms. Kwan called attention to the calss she thought about what Marco said. _Manny has his heart_.


End file.
